Today marks the anniversary of the Siege of Kut - The most embarrassing defeat for the UK ever

[GlobalMillitary96]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Kut

Although Gallipoli was the greatest defeat for the UK perhaps in history, there is another battle which is often overlooked; The siege of Kut. Almost every single British troop was dead, wounded or captured by the the Turks who were almost outnumbered 2 to 1.

 

[masterchief_mirza]

Very interesting read. I always thought the defeat by the zulus at Isandlwana was the most embarrassing though for the imperial British because of the technology disparities.

 

[Saithan]

No I think it is the famous light brigade charge that got decimated by russia.

 

[GlobalMillitary96]

No I think it is the famous light brigade charge that got decimated by russia.

I'm hoping you're joking bro bahahah. The Siege of Kut was much worse. Don't forget that the Battle of Balaclava didn't have a winner and both sides had a similar amount of casualties. There is no comparison between the two.

Very interesting read. I always thought the defeat by the zulus at Isandlwana was the most embarrassing though for the imperial British because of the technology disparities.

The battle of Isandlwana was probably the worst defeat by a technologically inferior force. However we have to remember that even the Zulus had guns and they vastly outnumbered the British.

 

[Nein]

Kut and Baku are such underrated victories.

In ww1 the Ottomans had their fair share of victories too bad they could not use those victories to win the war and failed to take intiative.

Central Powers and their strategy was flawed to the core.

It is said the Kut defeat was so bad that the British contemplated in withdrawing to focus on the other fronts namely the Western and the Sinai/Palestinian front.

 

[ÇölKaplanı]

In ww1 the Ottomans had their fair share of victories too bad they could not use those victories to win the war and failed to take intiative.

Our only major victory was in Gallipoli and even then we took heavy casulties. Look at these maps of 1918:

If the Germans couldn't managed to defeat the Russian Empire and if there were no October Revolution; the Russsian would came all the way to Ankara.
Remember, the Entente Powers were advancing in Bulgaria and soon they were going to attack to Istanbul by land.
Our almost entire logistics were depandant on Germany but with the fall of Bulgaria, there were no supply lines left.
Turkish population was being massacred by heavily armed Greeks and Armenians

So, there were no chance of winning for us...
Am I proud of my ancestors' achievements in the Great War? Hell yes. But we should be realistic...

 

[Nein]

Our only major victory was in Gallipoli and even then we took heavy casulties. Look at these maps of 1918:

If the Germans couldn't managed to defeat the Russian Empire and if there were no October Revolution; the Russsian would came all the way to Ankara.
Remember, the Entente Powers were advancing in Bulgaria and soon they were going to attack to Istanbul by land.
Our almost entire logistics were depandant on Germany but with the fall of Bulgaria, there were no supply lines left.
Turkish population was being massacred by heavily armed Greeks and Armenians

So, there were no chance of winning for us...
Am I proud of my ancestors' achievements in the Great War? Hell yes. But we should be realistic...

Im not saying the Ottomans were like hulk. If you checked the Central Powers strategy was flawed none of them were able to form a united front and coordinate together.

Not to mention the Ottoman Empire came out of the Libyan War and the Balkan Wars only to go into another war.

Ottomans did not have the material, technology or the numbers to win the war. Does not change the fact for a dying empire to win victories like gallpoli, baku and kut not to mention fighting on various fronts also sending soldiers to help out the Galician front is impressive for a dying empire on its last legs.

Central Powers could not win due to multiple reasons. Austria-Hungary alongside the Ottoman Empire was a dying empire. Bulgaria is not like America no doubt they were important for Germany to connect to the Ottomans but the Bulgarians are just not like the Americans. Americans were an industrial giant compared to bulgaria. Alot of the supplies which the Ottomans needed also went to the Bulgarians. Bulgarians were also dependant on Germany.

Central Powers needed more Allies especially the Americans. Italians also backstabbed the Central Powers if the Italians stayed neutral or joined the central powers they would have taken a lot of pressure off the central powers.

 

[himate]

One thing historian fail to point out is that the western powers had massive manpower compared to the ottomans. Ottomans did well to last this long despite having 10 times less manpower. No wonder erdogan keeps on barking about minimum 3 child per family and yet internal traitors mock him for it

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

It was starvations, disease, improper equipment and lack of reinforcements that made it worse.

 

[ÇölKaplanı]

One thing historian fail to point out is that the western powers had massive manpower compared to the ottomans. Ottomans did well to last this long despite having 10 times less manpower. No wonder erdogan keeps on barking about minimum 3 child per family and yet internal traitors mock him for it

If manpower was the most important thing, then China and India would have been the sole rulers of the world...

 

[himate]

If manpower was the most important thing, China and India would have been the sole rulers of the world...

India and china can easily be the sole ruler now if they got the leaders
However in 1900s The west had more manpower than the rest of world combined. Its shocking when you do a bit of research about tallying populations. Also india and china were not single countries in those days, they were in fact names of regions. China made up of many factions and likewise india who had multiple internal kingdoms

 

[Nein]

If manpower was the most important thing, then China and India would have been the sole rulers of the world...

Ww1 and ww2 were modern total wars which meant you need manpower big time.

 

[ÇölKaplanı]

Ww1 and ww2 were modern total wars which meant you need manpower big time.

My point is that of course manpower isreally important, but you can't win wars only with manpower. Look at the Opium Wars for example.

 

[Ahmet Pasha]

Uhhh...Brits also got their a$$es kicked by Afghans. Only one man was left alive. Just to tell the tale.

 

[Nein]

Out of all the useless German commanders that the Ottomans had.

The only one who deserves respect is Goltz Pasha.